"The Story of Genji" is one of the biggest works in Japanese and world literature. It was created at the convert of X-XI centuries, in the age of rapid formation and flowering of Japanese culture. Its author was a female, known as Murasaki Shikibu.
This books explains to about the life of that period in Japan, having some historical happenings, including the life and customs of samurai. It explains to about the life span of Genji, a boy of the Japanese emperor, also known as Hikaru Genji.
The tale specializes in his charming life and details the customs of the aristocratic population of that time period. Genji's was a well known man, well known and honorable, in addition to a good looking. His most important personality characteristic is the commitment, the characteristic he shows to all or any the women in his life.
Once Genji found a house on Gojo, in the roof which he noticed a renewable vine, with beautiful white plants called "yugao" - the "twilight beauty".
Soon Genji acquired acquainted with the girl of the house, they fell in love with each other, and he seen her every evening. However, their pleasure did not last long, as "an evil nature possessed Yugao" and she instantly died.
Genji was so upset, he blamed himself for the fatality of his love. "There is absolutely no telling how stressed out and disappointed he was!". ( Puette, William J, 78)
At the same time he stored everything in a top secret, never to let anybody really know what had occurred, as it was a question of his reputation.
With the help of Koremitsu, his confident, Yugao's funeral was held secretly, but with all due respect.
One nighttime, one of Yugao's servant ladies Ukon informed Genji who her mistress actually was. "Although she had blue bloodstream in her veins, Yugao lost her parents when she was little. So shy and humble was Yugao that she would cover everything behind her sorrowful smiles. But her stories would never perish from Genji's heart".
It is important to indicate, that the key character was a samurai, so he previously certain worth. An perspective of Samurai - "Bushido" - is the unwritten code of do of Samurai in the world, it is a couple of rules and norms of the real ideal of any warrior. "Bushido" means "the way of the samurai, the warrior", in addition the word is also translated as " responsibility, morality".
Thus, bushido - is samurai morality, virtue, moral and ethical code. Bushido is a practical morality, samurai believed it is method of improving mental and physical health.
Bushido was designed to coach proper life in feudal Japanese culture. It blended a theory of living and the analysis of the individual psyche, and resolved issues related to the notion of the substance of the individual, its role on the globe,
meaning of life, good and wicked, moral beliefs and moral ideal.
Samurai was keenly alert to their moral responsibility, in particular their personal responsibilities in relation to overlord, were required to assess their own activities and deeds, morally condemn themselves if misconduct, breach of obligation. ( Puette, William J, 145)
The main value of samurai, to begin with, was devotion to overlord, portrayed operating to overlord, to be of service is to place another above yourself. Devotion is faithfulness or a devotion to a person or cause. It relied
the procedures of loyalty, attracted from Shinto, Buddhist notion in impermanence of all earthly things, which strengthened from a samurai soul of sacrifice and don't fear fatality, and beliefs of Confucianism, which made commitment of the first virtue. Next to devotion was the concept of obligation. (Shirane, 45)
One of the key value of Samurai was personal courage, unbending courage. "True courage is to reside, when lawfully to live on, and expire when lawfully to die". " Samurai should go to the loss of life with an obvious consciousness of how to proceed and that's not worth his dignity".
The sense of honor is also very important. The awareness of self-esteem is brought up in Samurai from child years. Warriors purely guarded their "good name", a sense of pity was for the samurai hardest. We are able to see at in the e book, while Genji always behaved with sense of honor, he said : "I will weigh every word and always ask myself, could it be true that I'm going to say". Also Genji was polite with women, he exhibited his good attitude and manners to all the ladies in his life, as he never abandoned some of them. He previously the true goodness of your brain and spirit, the unbiased kindness to do good.
Honor and glory respected greater than life for samurai, .
In all his actions samurai was supposed to come from factors of the bigger justice and fairness. A true samurai had only one judge of his honor - himself, as manage to survive hide from yourself.
It is important to point out such value as the Knowledge of Honesty, as integrity is the individual quality of communicating and performing truthfully, related to fact as a value, and Genji tried out in all honesty, and to begin with with himself.
So "The Tale of Genji" is one of the greatest works in Japanese books, as it truly depicts life and customs of samurai in that time. "The story of Genji" shows socio-philosophical traditions of the society, it is devoted to samurai tradition, existed for thousands of years. Those looking fierce and troublesome warriors, ready anytime to vacation resort to his razor-sharp bright swords, were stern and ascetic life, full of inner willpower and poetry. Their very existence boils down to, to pass away with dignity, while retaining their honor. Their world is dependant on honor, generosity, service, courage, sacrifice and an extremely developed culture.
Love theme is mirrored very touching in the e book, and unhappy heartfelt poetry with oriental motifs stresses the dramatic, passionate atmosphere and a samurai love theme of the reserve.
Feel the profound meaning, a philosophy, and enjoy the overall beauty of the book, and also learn a lot from the eastern people - persistence, generosity, diligence, willpower, ability to appreciate every instant of life resided. . .
Work cited:
Puette, William J. Guide to the Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. Rutland, (1983)
Shirane, Haruo. Envisioning the Story of Genji: Press, Gender, and Cultural Development. New York: Columbia University Press(2008)
Morris, Ivan. The World of the Shining Prince. New York, 1994.
Mostow, Joshua S. Picturing " The Story of Genji". The Journal of the Connection of Instructors of Japanese. April 1999. (1-25)
